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Physical activity measured by accelerometry in paediatric and young adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Ken Lund1,2,3, Michael Due Larsen4,5, Torben Knudsen6,7
1Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital, Kloevervaenget 30, Entrance 216, 5000, Odense, Denmark. ken.lund@rsyd.dk.
Insights
Young patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) show moderate physical activity levels. Activity volume was higher in males and decreased with age, with no significant difference between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn
Area of Science:
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Clinical research
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Physical activity is crucial for the health of pediatric and young adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Objective measurement of physical activity in this population has been limited.
- Understanding activity levels can inform management strategies for IBD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively measure and describe physical activity levels in pediatric and young adult patients with IBD using accelerometry.
- To compare physical activity levels between patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).
Main Methods:
- Recruited 61 Danish IBD patients aged 10-20 years in clinical remission (faecal calprotectin < 200 µg/mg).
- Assessed physical activity using tri-axial wrist accelerometry over seven days.
- Quantified activity using the Euclidean Norm Minus One (ENMO) metric (mg) and time spent in Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA).
Main Results:
- The average daily activity volume (ENMO) was 31.5 mg.
- Patients spent an average of 32 minutes per day in MVPA.
- No significant difference in activity volume was found between UC and CD patients. Males and younger patients (10-13 years) exhibited higher activity levels compared to females and older patients (18-20 years).
Conclusions:
- Tri-axial accelerometry provides objective data on physical activity in young IBD patients in remission.
- Physical activity levels did not differ significantly between UC and CD patients.
- Activity volume was higher in males and inversely associated with age.
Objectives:
Physical activity in paediatric and young adult patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may play an important role in the overall health status. However, physical activity in these patients has not been reported using objective methods. We aimed to describe accelerometry-measured physical activity levels in paediatric and young adult IBD patients with either ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD).
Methods:
We recruited Danish patients with IBD aged 10-20 years in clinical remission and with a faecal calprotectin below 200 µg/mg. Physical activity was assessed using tri-axial wrist accelerometry over seven days and quantified using the activity-related acceleration derived as the conventional Euclidian Norm Minus One (ENMO) metric expressed in milli-gravity units (mg). Time spent in Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) was classified as ENMO > 210 mg in 5 s epoch resolution (unbouted).
Results:
We included 61 patients with a median age of 17 years [Inter Quartile Range, IQR 14-19]. The total volume of activity expressed as average acceleration (ENMO) per day was 31.5 mg (95% CI 29.1-33.9). Time spent in unbouted MVPA was 32 min per day (95% CI 26-37). There was no significant difference in activity volume between patients with UC to patients with CD, the adjusted linear regression coefficient was - 1.7 mg (95% CI -6.2-2.7). Activity volume was higher for males (36.2 mg, 95% CI 31.9-40.5) than for females (27.8 mg, 95% CI 25.6-30.0), and younger patients were more active than older patients; Activity volume in 10-13 year olds was 37.2 mg (95% CI 28.6-45.7), whereas it was 28.5 mg (95% CI 25.2-31.7) for those aged 18-20 years.
Conclusions:
We collected tri-axial accelerometry in young patients with IBD in clinical remission, and described their level of physical activity by the conventional ENMO measure. We found no statistically significant difference in patients with UC compared to patients with CD. The volume of physical activity was higher in males compared to females, and inversely associated with age.
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